What to do with a bear?

[clintsfolly]

Am going on a bear hunt in Canada this fall. Having just eaten bear one before.(a cured smoked ham) Just how to cut,cook? Any ideas will be appreciated.

[jt]

Never done anything special or different with bear here at our place than a guy would do with Beef or Buffalo.. bear meat is leaner and not marbled like beef is, kinda similar to Buffalo that-way. In the same respect, bear has a (much) finer grain to it than Beef has (or buffalo for that matter)

Salt/Pepper and Onions sliced for flavour, drop it all in a roaster and you're on your way.. barely tell it's bear really. Actually not barely, if you never said anything nobody would know the difference!

[bula]

The only time I've eaten bear, it was the liver. With eggs and bacon. Never liked liver, as cooked by Mom for Dad. Stunk. This, either due to being fresh, or being bear, had no bad smell. So I tried it and liked it. Enjoy. 

[bula]

Think sausage would be a safe bet.

[sixshot]

Never really cared for it myself. We tried some back straps one time that we fried up in cast iron skillet along with a bunch of fish we had caught. One of the guys had his dog Uno along with us & he would take a piece of fish & throw to Uno, he would catch it right out of the air & gobble it right down. When he slipped in a piece of bear meat from time to time Uno would catch it & lay it on the ground. We got to thinking, if a dog won't eat it, why are we trying to eat it.

Dick

[bradshaw]

Clintsfolly..... treat as pork or ham. Meat is excellent smoked; do not over brine. Fat will be found within the meat, although nothing close to the marbling of pork. The fat can be made palatable by smoking. I haven’t tried to make steaks. Roast or smoked and providing the animal has been eating fruit, nuts, grass, et cetera----and not feeding carrion----the meat should be excellent. As Dick alludes, some do not care for it. To me, if you’re going to shoot a bear, eat it.
David Bradshaw

[jt]

Jun 17, 2017 13:34:34 GMT -5 bradshaw said:

Clintsfolly..... treat as pork or ham. Meat is excellent smoked; do not over brine. Fat will be found within the meat, although nothing close to the marbling of pork. The fat can be made palatable by smoking. I haven’t tried to make steaks. Roast or smoked and providing the animal has been eating fruit, nuts, grass, et cetera----and not feeding carton----the meat should be excellent. As Dick alludes, some do not care for it. To me, if you’re going to shoot a bear, eat it.
David Bradshaw

Could've hit the nail on the head right there... bears in my neck'a the woods live on berries & forages, ag-grains like oats/barley/even go crazy for canola believe it or not.. (have had headland swaths completely thrashed some years by bears) Never would've thought that in Canola. Anyway; I'd imagine that all contributes to a better diet on these and likely their better table-fare.

[blacktailslayer]

I have heard different views on bear. I personally really like it as Mr. Bradshaw said above, just like pork. Bears and pigs are cousins! Fall bears are covered in fat and that needs to get peeled off so the meat can cool. Spring bears are usually fairly lean. Care of meat in the field is key to flavor; cool it quickly, keep it clean and make sure flies and bees are kept at bay. We smoke the entire rear hams (legs), bone and all and they are excellent! Make sausage with the trimmings like any other game animal. A friend cans the tougher meat which looks really nasty in the jar and puts it in stew and it is also excellent. I haven't had any bear meat that I would say is unpalatable. Some definitely better than others though and I believe that the care of the meat in the field is definitely the key for bear as well as deer, elk or any other big game.

Don D.